“The Accurate trip returned this morning and we’d like to again thank Gary Teraoka representing Accurate for another outstanding job as sponsor! The picture shows Gary presenting biggest fish to Bill Doumar, who caught it on an Accurate reel.

“Congrats to jackpot winners:

1st place, Harry Yamada, 32.8 pounds

2nd and 3rd tied, Roger Kuramoto and Albert Leclair, 29 pounds

(Albert also won an Accurate reel during the trip – lucky guy)

Honorable Mention Bill Doumar, 35.4 pounds.”

Action Along The Way

“We had a very enjoyable day of fishing today,” wrote Intrepid skipper Bill Cavanaugh July 31. “Beautiful weather, good action on nice sized yellowtail and dorado, and a great group of anglers. Super fun. Everyone is currently seated in the galley enjoying a delicious dinner as the sun is setting. It doesn't get much better than that. We will try our hand further south tomorrow.”

Boiling On The Corner

“All I got to say is what difference a day makes,” enthused the report from Polaris Supreme July 30.

“Holy cow, what a great day fishing yellowfin tuna! We had a blast as you can see by the pictures, they were boiling in the corner and it was deep blue beautiful water and everybody was happy! Fun, fun, day with great fishing and beautiful weather and now we are off to another adventure for tomorrow!”

Take A Wife Fishing

“We made a pass through and picked up a few of these school size tuna on our first evening out,” noted Red Rooster III skipper Andy Cates July 27. Lisa and I are shown holding up a little tuna she caught. Tomorrow we will be down the beach, trying for yellowtail.”

Returning to the north July 30, Cates wrote, “The bite lasted until after lunch and now we’re headed up, to make a quick stop to check out Benitos for the evening.”

On July 30, Cates wrote, “The dogs ate us up at Benitos. Not without surprise. Don Cox managed this 36-pound yellowtail for the Jack Pot as of now. There have been some nice yellows on the kelps and we are going to spend a better part of the day doing some kelp paddy fishing.”

La Paz Hot Inshore

Jonathan Roldan reported for his Tailhunter International July 31:

“Definitely our area this past week with the most action. Not great fishing, but the better area just to get your rod bent. There were billfish out there with stripers and larger blues getting hooked, but nothing like it was last week. Word is out now and there’s so much more boat traffic out there with a lot of local boats all zipping back and forth across the marlin holes. So, I’m sure that had an effect on it too. A week ago, there were one to three billfish per boat some days. One day we counted 26 vessels crisscrossing the same patch of water over and over.

“With the marlin action diminished, a lot of our action has been inshore for pargo, cabrilla, jack crevalle, triggerfish, bonito and amberjack. Again, we would normally never even be talking about these species of fish this time of year. These are spring-time species. We should be talking about dorado! But other than the occasional free-swimmer, there’s just not much out there for pelagic species. Other areas are also having their issues finding dorado as well so it’s not just us.

“On the upside, the waters are warming and clearing up. Much bluer every week and there’s a bunch of sargasso weed about 10 miles north of town that’s moving south towards us so that’s very promising because the live bait situation is also improving. My captains are saying to give it to top three weeks and they think we’ll be getting dorado.”

World-Class Tuna

Serious tuna fishermen should see the new issue of The International Angler, the quarterly magazine of the IGFA. The editors present an eleven-page, very interesting piece: “All-Tackle Tuna,” subtitled, “The Biggest Tuna Ever Caught.”

The article is rife with photos, antique and contemporary, of those unique, great catches. Colored drawings of scientific quality illustrate the nine species, and the text describes the species and a recounting of the fight. SoCal anglers may be unfamiliar with the species Blackfin, Dogtooth and Longtail tuna, though blackfin tuna are common in the Gulf of Mexico.

Also noted in this issue: a 265-pound Australian or southern bluefin caught by Clinton Adlington of Victoria on a trolled jig and 30-pound line for a line-class record; and the 74-pound, three-ounce white seabass kayak-caught off La Jolla last January by Brian Fagen. He gets the 80-pound record, for his dawn mackerel-eater.

Bill Roecker’s “Fishing Long Range 101” is an introduction to long ranging. Here you’ll see that a short trip of a day and a half to three or four days will take you to fishing that’s more comfortable and exciting than any you’ve had before, and it comes with some of the world’s best guides and equipment.

Learn about long range style fishing for tuna, yellowtail and dorado from Roecker and the skippers and crew aboard Royal Star and Searcher, two of San Diego’s best-known long range sportfishers. During early summer, you don’t have to spend two weeks or more at sea to catch fish! You’ll be fishing within hours of clearing San Diego Bay. On a day and a half trip, traveling is at night and the day is all about fishing. See how to bait and cast to feeding tuna, how to play and land ‘em.

Enjoy stateroom quarters and chef-prepared meals served at your table. You’ll have more fun and stay out of tangles with a polite crewman at your side as you play your tuna! See bluefin tuna and albacore leaping out of the water just a cast away!